Marlins' Amazing Comeback Wasted

April 30, 2000|By DAVID O'BRIEN Staff Writer

LOS ANGELES — Among the things the Marlins learned about themselves on a cool Southern California Saturday night: Seemingly no deficit is insurmountable; Derrek Lee has probably done enough to regain the starting first-base job; and Dan Miceli isn't the only tough guy ready to scrap if the need arises.

Lee answered former Marlin Gary Sheffield's two early home runs and five RBI with two home runs of his own, propelling the Marlins back from a 10-2 third-inning deficit in a wild testosterone-filled contest.

But it only served to set up another wrenching defeat as Eric Karros singled through the left side of the infield with none out in the ninth to drive in the winning run in a 13-12 Dodgers victory that extended Florida's losing streak to four games.

Closer Antonio Alfonseca gave up a hit (Shawn Green) and walk (Sheffield) to start the ninth before Karros hit a hard bouncer between third base and shortstop to send a crowd of 35,583 into a frenzy.

It was the Marlins' third loss on the opponent's final at-bat during the losing streak, which began the night they played without six players protesting the EliM-an GonzM-alez situation.

Lee homered off closer Jeff Shaw with two out in the ninth inning to tie the game and give the first baseman his first career multi-homer game. He went 3 for 5 and was also hit by a pitch.

A bench-clearing near-brawl broke out in the seventh inning when Miceli, the hyper-intense setup man known by teammates as "The Godfather," threw a fastball near Adrian Beltre's head.

The third baseman and his Dodgers teammate did not think it coincidence that it was the next pitch after Beltre had stepped out of the batter's box just as Miceli was entering his delivery, the umpire calling time out as Miceli seethed. When the next pitch sailed under Beltre's chin, he took a couple of steps in Miceli's direction before catcher Paul Bako jumped in front of Beltre, who then cursed at the catcher.

Both benches cleared, players racing to the area around home plate as umpires stepped between them before any punches could be thrown. Lee, the biggest Marlin, was front and center among the Marlins, glove off and ready for anything that might transpire, though Lee wasn't an antagonist.

Play proceded minutes later and Miceli walked Beltre before striking out Todd Hundley to end the inning.

With the Marlins facing noted tough-guy pitcher Kevin Brown today, it will be interesting to watch. Brown has led leagues in hit batsmen three times in 13 seasons despite (or because of?) his outstanding control.

The Marlins came one run shy of matching a club record with seven runs on three hits and two Dodgers errors in the fifth, including back-to-back home runs by Mike Lowell (three-run) and Lee, who also had an RBI double in the first inning and a single in the seventh, strengthening his bid for more playing time.

All seven runs were unearned because of two-out errors by Beltre and second baseman Mark Grudzielanek.

The Marlins pulled to within 12-11 with two runs in the seventh, but the inning ended when Lee was thrown out trying to score from second on Kevin Millar's pinch-hit single, the fourth time in three games that third-base coach Fredi Gonzalez has sent a runner and had him thrown out at home.

The Marlins came in with a 3.79 ERA that ranked second in the majors behind Atlanta (3.05).

But the Dodgers made left-hander Jesus Sanchez and the Marlins turn back the clock to the wretchedness of 1998-99, throwing up 10 runs (nine earned) by the third inning and threatening to turn this into a debacle on a scale of the 18-0 drubbing at Atlanta in the Marlins' 1999 season finale.

Sanchez allowed eight runs and eight hits in 11/3 innings and his ERA ballooned from 4.81 to 7.36.

The Dodgers sent 18 to the plate in the first two innings, and Sanchez was pulled after the Sheffield home run, which made Sheffield 5 for 8 with two doubles, three homers and nine RBI against the left-hander.

It was the worst of Sanchez's 44 starts, but not the shortest. He lasted one inning at Cincinnati in 1998.

Sheffield was just 15 for 72 (.208) with two homers and three RBI in 19 games against his former team before Saturday's burst. It was his 16th multi-homer game.